University Counselling

The university counselling office at Upper Canada College is committed to supporting our students as they identify and develop their individual passions and strengths and explore how these will shape their post-secondary studies and future careers. We strive to work in close partnership with boys and their parents, recognizing, as psychologist Michael Thompson has pointed out, that this process is about much more than the mechanics of selecting a place of higher education: it's "the most important and difficult transition" in a young person's life. As such, the primary goal is to encourage our young men to develop a useful template for making wise adult decisions, one which recognizes the value of thorough research, honest reflection and a willingness to follow one's own path.

Ultimately, we believe that strong university counselling honours both the "small school feel" and the "big school opportunities" that define UCC.

The university counselling office is located in the area overlooking the student centre and works most closely with students enrolled in the IB program. However, boys at all grade levels and their parents are welcome to obtain information about university and career preparation and to receive advice about the application/admission process, including standardized testing. The office also provides course selection counselling for those entering Foundation Year and IB1, since subject choices at these grade levels often influence opportunities for study at the post-secondary level.

Boys are assigned to their university counsellor by house as follows:

Katherine Ridout (director of university counselling): Martland’s and McHugh’s